The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-22

Then roe don't ,0dnt no id tcdTrdnt"
The grocery business of Mr.. Roscommon,
although adequate and sufficient for the vii
lage, was not exhausting or overtaxing to the
proprietor. The refilling of the pork and -four
barrel of the average miner was the work OF
brief hour on Saturday nights, but the daily
replenishment of the average miner with whis-
ky was ar,luous and incessant. Roscommon
spent more time behind his bar than his gro
GERS counter. Add to this the fact that a long
shed-like extension wing bore the legend,
Cosmopolitan Hotel, Board or Lodging by
the Day or Week. NJ. Roscommon," and you
got an idea of the variety of the proprietor's
functions. The "hotel," however, was more
directly under the charge of Mrs Roscom-
mon, lady of thirty years, strong -
and good-hearted.
Mr.. Roscommon had early
theory that most of his customt
sane, and were to be alternately q.
placated, tho case might be. Nothing mat
occurred, no extravaganza of speech nor act,
ever rufi1ed his equilibrium, which was as
doSged and stubborn as il was outwartlly
calm When not serving liquor, or i'm the in
terval while it was being drank, he was al
ways wiping his counter with an exceedingly
dirty towel-or indeed anything that came
handy. Miners, noticing this purely perfume
tory habit, occasionally supplied him silly
with articles inconsistent with their service
fragments of their shirts and underclothing,
-four slcking, tow, and once with a flannel
pettieoat of his vines stolen from the
line in the back yard Roscommon would
continue his wiping without looking up, hut
If bo Of cl,
"And it's not another dhrop yen git, Jack
Brown, until ye've wiped out the black score
that stands aGin We" "And it's there We are.
darlint, and it's here's the bottle that's been
lukin' for we sins Saturday" And fwhot
hcv you done with the last L sent we, We diviI
of a McCorille and heres me back that's bruk
entiorely wild dipping Until the pork bari to
Civ yc the best sides, and ye spending yur last
clint on a tare into Gilroy. Whisti and if it's
fer foighting We are, boys, there's an ILL
giant bit of sod beyant the corral, and it may
be meself III come ont with a shtick and DO
sociable"
On this particular day, however, Mr.. Ros-
common was not in his usual Is, and when
the chatter of horses hoofs before the door
announced the approach of strangers, he alb
solutely ceased wiping his counter and looked
up as DIR. Guild, the president and secretary
of the new company strobe into the shop
ave are looking" said the president, afor
a man by the name of Wiles, and three
Mexicans known Pedro, Manuel and
Miguel"
aye are!'
ave are!"
@Faix, and hope yen fond 'em. And IL
darlint, I'll add blessing to it."
There was laugh at this from the by
ISLANDERS, who, somehow, resented the intru-
sion of these strangers
Il fear you will find it no laughing matter,
gentlemen" said DIR. Guild, a little stifiiy,
'when tell you that a murder has been COM
mitted, and the men l am seeking within an
hour of that murder put up that notice signed
by thesr names, =" and DR. Guild displayed tho
paper.
There was a breathless silence among the
crowd they eagerly pressed around tho
doctor. Only Roscommon kept ON wiping his
counter.
"YOu will observe, gentlemen, that the
name of Roscommon also appears ON this
paper as one of the original locaters."
"And sure, darIint," said Roscommon, with
out looking up, "if we've no better evidence
agin thin boys than you have forninst me, it's
home ye'd batther he riding to wanst For
it's meseIf as hasn't stirred tut out Of the store
the day and noight--,nore betoken as the boys
I've sarved kin testify"
That's 50; Ross right" chorused tho
crowd. "We've been running the old man ali
night
"Then how comes your name this
paper'"
20 murIher, will ye listen to him, boysi
As if every felly that owed me a whisky bill
didn't come to me and say: An, Misther
Roscommon,' or 'Moike,' as the case
might be, sure it's an illishant sthrike I've
made this day, and it's meself that has put
down your name an original locator, and
yer fortunes made Mr.. Roscommon, and will
yer fill me up another quart for the good
luck betune you and me. All, but ask Jack
Brown over yam if it isn't sick that ] am Of
his original locations"
The laugh that followed this speech, and its
practical application, convinced the party that
they had Numbered, that they could obtain
no Glow to the real culprits here, and that any
attors,rt By threats would meet violent oppo-
.tioa. Nevertheless the doctor was persistent:
~Whcn did you these men hstr
"Nhcn did see them, is it. Beiad, what
with saryin up the liquor and keeping me
counters dry and sw1te, l never see them at
au-
That's so, Ross, - choruscd the crowd again,
% whom the whole proceeding was delight
fully farcical
Then ! can tell you, gentlemen" said the
doctor, stifily, that they were in Monterey
last night, that they did not return on that
trail this morning, and that they must have
passed here at daybreak."
With these words, which the doctor re-
GREETED soon as delivered, the party rode
away.
Mr.. Roscommon resumed his service and
counter wipins. But late that night, when
the bar was closed and the last loiterer was
sumnarily ejccted, Mr. Roscommon, i'm the
conjugnl privacy Ut his chamber produced
q legal looking paper. ~Read IL, Maggie
darlint, for it's meself never had the farming
nor the parts"
Mistress Roscommon took the paper:
@Shure, it's law papers, making over some
property TO yis. o Moikei ye hav'n't been
spekilatings-
~whistl and fwhotz that durty gray paper
wid the sales and flourixhesr
@Faix, it bothes me intoireiy.s Ehure it
ONT i'm English
-whisti Maggie. it's q Spanish grant,"